Portuguese policy makers exchange ideas to accelerate climate adaptation measures
Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) are becoming essential strategies for adapting to the effects of climate change, going above the targets set by the European Union. As a result, the Policy Support Facility, a new initiative under the Covenant of Mayors– Europe, is hosting a series of national workshops to allow for exchange between municipalities about approaches to accelerate adaptation measures and to stimulate dialogue between local, regional, and national authorities.
One such workshop “SECAPs in the context of the Covenant of Mayors” was held on 21 October, 2022 in Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) to showcase the knowledge base of Portuguese municipalities that are tackling climate change through local based strategies within the Covenant of Mayors framework. The workshop was attended by over 40 participants from 20 cities and regions from across Portugal to collaboratively share ideas for climate change and energy action plans as well as discuss current challenges and barriers toward implementation.
The workshop focused on best practices and case studies for taking action, which involved collaboration between municipalities to achieve shared goals, and participants were inspired to develop their own strategies for local resiliency within the context of the European Commission’s climate policies as well as new climate regulations in Portugal.
As Raquel Lopes from the ICLEI Member Torres Vedras Municipality notes, “The regional approach was extremely useful as it gave us the opportunity to share our experiences but also to learn from neighbouring cities. We feel confident of our work within the Covenant of Mayors and learned that we must now focus on our monitoring efforts for climate adaptation.”
The Policy Support Facility, of which ICLEI is a coordinating partner under the Covenant of Mayors - Europe, was launched by the European Commission following the publication of the EU Strategy of Adaptation to Climate Change in 2021, to assist local and regional authorities implement adaptation strategies.
